ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — a division
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to click
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. race — a contest
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com